I refer to your article UAE Cabinet approves day visas at airports to boost tourism numbers (15 April): passengers who transited through the UAE airport previously could not go outside the airport to see the country because they did not have an appropriate visa. Now that the UAE cabinet has approved day visas at all UAE airports, people passing through may be able to take in some of what this country has to offer. It is a good development indeed. This new policy will certainly boost the UAE's tourist numbers, especially as the country has already become an attraction on the global map.
K Ragavan, Bangalore
It's time for Narendra Modi to act
I write in reference to your forthright editorial India's appalling treatment of women is enabled by a culture of impunity (April 16): ordinary citizens across India have been protesting against the silence and inaction of the authorities, and against the perpetrators of the recent crimes. The government simply must act. The guilty must be arrested and tried in fast-track courts to prevent such inhuman acts from recurring. It is indeed shocking that the rape in Jammu and Kashmir was carried out in a temple, a place of worship. This is horrendous. How inhumane and brutal can men become? All persons convicted of rape should be ostracised. As your editorial rightly noted, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi should take a tough stance on this issue. He should lead from the front, as he did when he launched the "Beti Bachao" (Save our Daughters) campaign some years ago. Inaction now is not an option.
Rajendra Aneja, Dubai
Childhood toys in the digital age: their days are numbered
I refer to your article In a digital age, will childhood toys still carry the same value? (April 15). It's just that iPads and mobile phones provide more value for money compared to toys. I personally think toys have lost their value in the digital age.
Mohammed Al Mamun, Chittagong
Will toys be eclipsed by digital goods? Nope. Not in our house.
Sarah Ansari, Dubai
Let's repair the Earth rather than waste money looking for other planets
Please refer to your article Nasa's new planet-hunter to seek Earth-like worlds (April 15). Humanity should stop wasting all this money on searching for an "Earth-like" planet and instead use all those billions of dollars to save and repair the Earth that we actually live on. We have been terrible caretakers of this unique and beautiful planet. We keep searching outside when we should be looking within. Every parent should be concerned now about the state of the planet we are going to bequeath to our children and future generations.
Robert Castro, Dubai
